Japanese custom motorcycle culture can seem like a closed shop to Westerners. Granted, there?s the annual Mooneyes show, and a few builders have cast their nets outside their home country.
But the language barrier is formidable: less than 10% of the Japanese population can speak English, and less than 1 in 500 Americans can speak Japanese.
So we?re always grateful for insights into the custom culture in the East. Frankfurt-based photographer Marc Holstein and his partner Christine Gabler?also a skilled operator behind the lens?sent in these images from a recent trip to the East.

They?re working on a book about Japanese custom motorcycles and culture, and explored hotspots including Tokyo, Amakusa, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.
?These builders are very, very dedicated to their craft,? says Marc. ?They?re living their dreams, and are often located in very small spaces?since space is something of a luxury in the big cities.?
?We were treated with kindness and respect, which is something we?ve grown to love about Japan. We also noticed is that everybody seems to really specialize in their own single niche, and concentrate on that.?
?The country amazed us daily,? says Marc. ?Train stations are huge, serving a million people a day. We fell in love with it: Japanese people are so polite and helpful, and the ramen and yakitori in Tokyo is like nowhere else in the world!?

The bikes are like nowhere else in the world too. Here are Marc?s highlights, featuring three workshops: Ch...